BRISTOL — A local citizen is urging lawmakers to make changes in the law that discourages Vermonters from littering.
At Monday’s legislative breakfast at the Bristol American Legion Hall, some of the legislators discussed the tenuous prospects this session for an expanded Bottle Bill. Some residents, like Bristol’s Peter Grant, argued the current 5-cent deposit doesn’t provide enough incentive anymore for people to keep and redeem their containers. As a consequence, an increasing number of cans and bottles are becoming litter.
Grant suggested that deposit on redeemable bottles be increased and that additional containers (aside from soda and beer) be added to the mix.
Sen. Claire Ayer, D-Addison, reported strong lobbying efforts against expanding the Bottle Bill — including from officials representing the state’s solid waste management districts.
Ayer said the districts are arguing that expanding the bill to include more containers would reduce their waste stream to a point where they might not be able to make ends meet.